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Check out the cross-sport athlete’s healthy 2,000-calorie meal plan, which includes functional dessert bowls and “cheat foods” for high performance and muscle gains. No keto, carnivore, or other nutrient-restricted diets for hybrid athlete Kristi Eramo O’Connell.
The gym owner and coach follows a strict, balanced meal plan that includes generous portions of protein, carbohydrates, and fat from whole food sources. Weighing 130 pounds (58.9 kilograms) at 10 percent body fat, O’Connell stays shredded while eating large portions, dark chocolate, and tasty pre-workout parfaits daily.
Here’s the kicker: she fits all that into a modest 2,000 calories per day while averaging a 15,000-20,000 daily step count and hour-long training sessions. O’Connell explains how anyone can tailor her nutrition plan to fit their goals in the video below:
[Related: A Guide to the Best Pre-Workouts in 2024, Tested and RD Approved]
Breakfast
O’Connell’s highest-calorie meal is roughly 500 calories to start each day. On one side of her breakfast plate, 50 grams of avocado (healthy fats), red beet, cabbage, and organic kraut (gut health) are on top of two sourdough breads.
The other half is reserved for proteins and veggies: two eggs, half a cup of egg whites, and roasted asparagus or mushrooms. That’s 45 grams of protein (15 grams from collagen supplement), 35 grams of carbs, and 21 grams of fat.
Eating a heftier serving early charges up her training battery. O’Connell tops up three to four hours later with a yummy pre-workout snack.
Meal 2: Pre Workout Dessert
O’Connell’s pre-workout bowls are easy, filling, nutritious, and fueling. Each bite contains mostly simple sugars from non-fat Greek yogurt (a great slow-digesting protein source), strawberries, and honey. A dab of almond butter adds fat, and protein, and prevents hunger during training.
I can get a really great workout without feeling exhausted…weighed down.
O’Connell throws in a “Mush” cup of ready-to-eat overnight oats or a banana for longer sessions. Swapping the almond butter for powdered peanut butter is a lower-calorie alternative.
This dish contains only 231 calories without the oatmeal and almost double the calories with it. The macronutrients are 28 grams of protein, 49 grams of carbohydrates, and 15 grams of fat.
Meal 3: Post-Workout
O’Connell prefers an appetizing Mexican-style post-workout meal of rice, lean animal protein, beans, and Latin flavor combinations. She keeps the meal low in fat for better nutrient absorption, and rice is a palatable, filling carb source that refuels the muscles.
Make sure you replenish those glycogen stores.
[Related: The 8 Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders of 2024, Tested by Our Experts]
- 120 to 200 grams (Four to seven ounces) of rice
- 75 grams of chicken breast
- 25 grams of black beans
- One tablespoon of salsa
- A little pico de gallo (Variation of liquid salsa)
Totals for this meal are 305 calories, 28 grams protein, 49 grams of carbs, and only three grams of fat.
Meal 4: Dinner
The last cooked meal for O’Connell has four simple ingredients, intended to satiate, keep her metabolism running, and feed her muscles during the latter hours of the day.
- Four ounces of pork tenderloin
- 175-200 grams of baked sweet potato
- 30-50 grams of asparagus (five spears)
- 50 grams of avocado.
O’Connell says this meal has 385 calories, 34 grams of protein, 42 grams of carbohydrates, and 10 grams of fat. If she needs more energy for endurance training, it may contain less pork and double the sweet potato.
[Related: The 7 Best Fat Burner Supplements of 2024, Reviewed by Our RD]
Meal 5: Pre-Bedtime
To prevent midnight munching, O’Connell mixes 155 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, 10 grams of pumpkin seeds (Good plant fats), and half a cup of frozen blueberries. Cottage cheese contains casein protein which helps curb hunger and sustain muscle protein synthesis during sleep.
Cottage Cheese Bowl — Nutrition Details
- 213 calories
- 25 grams of protein
- 15 grams of carbs
- 10 grams of fat.
O’Connell sometimes swaps the above for a shake blended with one scoop of protein powder, three-fourths cup of almond milk, sugar-free pudding mix, and PB Fit powder. O’Connell indulges in a square or two of 55 Percent Dark Chocolate. “It helps me not feel restricted,” she says.
Full Day’s Calories, Protein, Carbs, and Fat
The biggest surprise about O’Connell’s diet is how low in calories it is and how huge the portions are. But that’s the idea: Eat more nutritious, less calorically dense foods to satiate and fuel.
Here are the full-day total calories and macronutrients for O’Connells eating regime.
- 2,050 calories
- 150 grams of protein
- Over 200 grams of carbs
- Over 70 grams of fat
O’Connell emphasized the importance of protein, ensuring her meals have a minimum of 20-25 grams. “That [protein] is super super important to put into your body every four or so hours, so your body doesn’t go catabolic [losing muscle mass].” The nutrition coach advises everyone to eat protein with every meal for health, performance, and satiety.
Featured image: @kristieramo on Instagram
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